Dance

Lewis WhittingtonMarch 10, 2014Philadelphia,
Rasta Thomas' "Bad Boys of Dance" were back in Philly to an almost sold out crowds at the Annenberg Center, with just enough room left for the dance kids and seniors to cheer lustily. Thomas himself ...

This month-long series of events highlights African American dance and culture.

Joanna G. HarrisMarch 8, 2014CA,
For its 10th anniversary season, the Black Choreographers Festival has extended into new and "other" dimensions. Under the leadership of Kendra Kimbrough Barnes and Laura Ellis, this performance included a dramatic work by Joanna Haigood, a ballet-jazz dance by Gregory ...

Programs 2 and 3 provided audiences a broad sampling of great and lesser works by dancemakers past and present.

March 4, 2014CA,
Choreographers past and present were on display in two recent programs from San Francisco Ballet, and their defining styles (or lack thereof) gave audiences a broad canvas of talent and themes to contemplate.
Program 2 (seen Feb. 27) opened ...

The revolutionary choreographer's legacy shines in these three iconic works.

Suzanne WeissFebruary 3, 2014CA,
The late Martha Graham was nothing less than an icon in the dance world, permanently revolutionizing the art form with her innovative choreography and methodology. The eponymous company that carries on her rich legacy brought a couple of her most ...

The English choreographer attempts to depict "bodies misbehaving"--with mixed results.

Joanna G. HarrisJanuary 21, 2014CA,
Wayne McGregor, the celebrated English choreographer “renowned for his groundbreaking collaborations across dance, film, music, visual art, technology and science,” presented a new work entitled “FAR” at YBCA.
According to McGregor’s notes, the work is inspired by Roy Porter’s ...

The Cutting Room

Lewis WhittingtonJanuary 1, 2014Philadelphia,
BodyVox
That rowdy dance troupe from Portland, Oregon known as BodyVox returned to their avid fan base at Dance Celebration in Philadelphia. They performed The Cutting Room an ambitious, erratic multi-media dance satire about movies. It was conceived by ...

40th Anniversary

Joanna G. HarrisDecember 17, 2013San Francisco,
Co-founder and Artistic Director Deborah Vaughan has led the Oakland based Dimensions Dance Theater for 40 years. I can remember well the early years under the mentorship of Ruth Beckford, whose teaching at the Oakland Recreation Department made it possible ...

Directed and choreographed with a new scenario by Matthew Bourne

Karen WeinsteinDecember 12, 2013Los Angeles,
Traditionalists, you probably will not be overjoyed at Matthew Bourne’s reworking of the classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The rest of us, however, are in for a real treat. From interpretation to technique, Act I and Act II are about as good ...

Choreography by Jo Kreiter

Joanna G. HarrisNovember 12, 2013San Francisco,
Jo Kreiter has created Flyaway Productions “to engage political and social issues with the artistry of spinning, flying and exquisite suspension.” For “Give a Woman a Lift,” she has engaged six women to dance, climb the walls, swing and, throughout ...